1. Field of the Invention
A relatively simple solution to problems presented by the proliferation of cable and satellite television channels is provided by way of a remote control device allowing efficient management of a wide selection of channels.
2. Description of Related Art
Virtually all related art is sufficiently complex so as to make use thereof difficult and cumbersome to understand and operate for many if not most users. U.S. Pat. No. 6,438,752 to McClard, for example, concerns a method for selecting programs based on a user's past selection history. An input signal, indicating the identity of the user, and a first input signal from the identified user, representing a first selection preference, are received. Based on the first input signal, the channel that is currently assigned a program corresponding to the highest reception frequency for the first selection preference in the past reception history of the identified user for the current time period is determined. Automatic tuning to the channel determined to have the program corresponding to the highest reception frequency is then performed.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,188,355 to Prokopenko et al. relates to a learning module that records characteristics associated with each program viewed by a user, and forms sets of these characteristics. The frequency at which each set occurs is also determined. A recommendation module uses a number of tasks to compile a list of viewer recommendations. Various tasks are defined, with each task defining a unique combination of a manner of ordering the viewer profile, and particular relevance filters for filtering the ordered viewer profile. Upon entry of a user request for a list of program recommendations, a search of data for programs with characteristics that best match sets selected by the tasks is performed. The user is notified of the availability of such programs, allowing selection of a particular program.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,445,306 to Trovato et al. concerns a remote control program selection system in which a list builder creates a number of different lists, with each list containing an identification of programs that are likely to relate to a particular topic or genre. When the user selects the topic or genre, the appropriate list is accessed, and the user is provided with a way to incrementally select the programs contained in the selected list. In one particular arrangement, the list builder includes a number of capabilities for improving the selective quality of the lists, having access, for example, to an information source that provides the time of each scheduled program on each channel, and an indication of the topic or genre for each program. In a similar manner, creation of the lists or the selection of the appropriate list is enhanced and improved based upon expressed and implied preferences that are determined, for example, by the user's past selections, rejections, or selections and rejections.
Numerous other documents relating to universal remote control devices and dynamic channel ordering also exist. U.S. Patent Application Publications 2006/0259864 to Klein et al., 2003/0095156 to Klein et al., 2002/0059610 to Ellis, 2006/0259934 to Fries, 2007/0250864 to Diaz Perez, 2008/0163307 to Coburn et al., 2008/0178216 to Bennington et al., 2008/0178224 to Laude et al., 2008/0229351 to Torimaru, and 2008/0301737 to Hjelmeland Almas et al., U.S. Pat. No, 5,982,411 to Eyer et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,072,535 to Kearns, and U.S. Pat No. 6,430,358 to Yuen et al., and German document 10 2008 011630 to Torimaru (which corresponds to U.S. Patent Application Publication 2008/0229351 already mentioned) provide examples of this technology.